THE PHILIPPINE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia engaged in dialogue on prison reform and how both countries prevent the torture of inmates in jails, the CHR said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Philippine CHR said its Malaysian counterpart visited the Philippines to exchange expertise on mechanisms and targets to uphold the human rights of inmates. The rights commission’s visit took place on Oct. 16-20.
The Malaysian human rights body also visited the Philippine jails to learn about the government’s efforts to improve conditions for Filipino inmates.
The CHR said it had pitched to the Malaysian rights commissioners the government’s plan to establish a National Preventive Mechanism, which will ensure inmates are safe from torture, cruelty and other degrading conditions while serving their respective sentences.
Many of the country’s jails fail to meet the United Nations’ minimum standards given inadequate food, poor nutrition and unsanitary conditions, according to Human Rights Watch.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla earlier said the government was working on accelerating legal proceedings for inmates still in jail due to pending criminal cases.
The Philippine justice department earlier raised the requirement for filing criminal cases, requiring government prosecutors to ensure cases lead to a “reasonable certainty of conviction” to ease jail congestion. It also halved the bail for poor Filipinos.
